I discovered the Vegetables by Month chart by Cook Smarts,in my research. It’s a handy and beautiful way to make sure you’re buying your veggies at their peaks!

I’ve had fun this summer going to the Portland Farmers Market to buy vegetables...

(and fruits, and flowers, and listen to music...)

and create them into still lifes ...

and do some color studies.

I've done studies of the reds in beets, red onions, and tomatoes....

and the amazing orange hues in carrots, yellow beets, and pumpkins.

I had an idea of how to make the calendar even more fun...to add in recipes and stories from my friends.

So, here’s my request:

If you have a favorite recipe featuring one of the following vegetables, please send it to me—along with a short story about the recipe. It could be why it’s your family's favorite, how your mother/grandma taught you to make it, or that time you served it at a fun dinner party, etc.And, I would like to send you one a cd calendar (small desk size), as a thank you gift!

DEADLINE: midnight PST on Thursday, September 15.

LENGTH:250 words or less for recipe + story together.

CONTRIBUTOR: I can use your name or leave it anonymous—just let me know which you prefer. :)

3.23.2016

I was honored to be a part of the Celebration of Creativity in early March. It featured original works from 80+ artists from 15+ different media categories.

I took 6 out of 12 pieces I had remaining that I painted for the calendars that I made for the Portland Open Studios.

They wanted all the pieces framed, so I bought 6 plain, unfinished frames from Canvas Place. I sprayed them with water and I stained them with acrylic paint in the same colors I used in the original artworks. Then I finished them in acrylic gel gloss.

They turned out excellent! I think I will do them again. :)Art ClassesI have made a bold move! I couldn't talk for about two weeks after my stroke, so I was unsure of offering to teach art classes. Well I'm doing it and my first students said that I did great!

There are still two spaces available in my upcoming art class, March 29 and 31, from 9am-2pm. I'm fixing a tasty lunch for my students on the 29th. Beginners welcome!

I am continually checking a dictionary, thesaurus, spell check, but one thing that has been particularly helpful is the grammar check and Hemingway App. Please excuse any errors that I make and tell me! :)

The PDXOS had two meetings in May and August, and the WCOS had one. This was a chance to meet with other artists, pass out the street signs (used to tell people where we were),

familiarize us with their program and talk to us about marketing.

Along with over a hundred other artists, I had my home studio open the 2nd and 3rd weekends in October.

To begin with, I used Evernote to list off the things I needed: set-up in the basement, what I ordered (envelopes, post cards, calendars, etc.), points from other artists, etc..

There were many mentions from the organizers and fellow artists on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and I ordered post cards to tell about the studio tour.

The main reason for the studios visits is to educate the visitors on what goes on in the artists studio, so I took them on a tour of mine, starting with my still life cupboard and still life set-up.

Since I had to learn with my other hand since my stroke, I showed them how I start my studio time with quick drawings of lines, circles, anything around my studio, and life drawing from YouTube. (Really, I should have been doing this all along...it is important for me to draw!)

Then I would show them my painting process....the picture of the black and white value, setting up the halfway points, value, color, etc.. Because I have a hard time talking (because of my stroke), I typed out signs of each display I wanted to mention and put it beneath my work. Although the visitors thought it was for them, it really was for me. :) I would get stuck trying to say a certain sentence and then I would glance at the typed words and be okay!

(Does this make sense????)

Finally, I would show them on my computer the image I was painting and how I like to paint upside down.

In my very limited experience, most people don't ask questions or they don't know what to ask. Hopefully, I gave them enough of my process and that will lead to questions.

Although the main reason for the open studios was to teach my process, I decided to have something that everyone could afford to buy, so I had note cards and calendars.

The calendars were fun because because I decided to do flowers, which led to a post on Facebook. I asked people for their flower suggestions and I got several submissions and then I could follow up with what I was doing.

10.15.2015

I had a wonderful time this weekend at the Portland Open Studios tour at my house. THANK YOU to all who took time out of their day to come see me!

It is the last weekend this year for the Portland Open Studios and the Washington County Open Studios tours: Oct. 17-18, 10am - 5pm. This is a "unique educational opportunity for the public to witness art in the making, and learn about media, materials and the business of creative endeavor." from PDXOSI will have maps to the other artists' studios.My address is: 12545 NW Coleman Dr., Portland, OR. 97229. Come on by!!!

Amy, Me, and John

I REALLY have to share this with you...

Just last week I shared with you the story about my cousin, Amy Melious, and how she developed the photo of our Grandpa Jack with a Photoshop composite and acrylic paint. She did two versions of Jack, one for her brother John, and one for the Cattlemans Restaurant.

She lives in Canada and John lives in Santa Rosa, CA., and I live in Portland, OR and they just *happened* to be passing by my house? Last Saturday? WHAT????? - (it's a long story...)

I couldn't believe it!

AND, they had John's picture of Grandpa Jack in their car!!!!

John and Amy! :)

Studio Tip

I just got this gooseneck flexible thingy...made for a cell phone or a tablet?

10.07.2015

The paintings for the calendars are done and the images are off to the printer to be made into wall calendars, desk calendars and note cards for Portland Open Studios and Washington County Open Studios. This is a "unique educational opportunity for the public to witness art in the making, and learn about media, materials and the business of creative endeavor." from PDXOSThis weekend and next, Oct 10-11, 17-18, 2015, 10am -5pm.My address is: 12545 NW Coleman Dr., Portland, OR. 97229. Come on by! :)

This is such a special story...

This is a story about my lovely cousin, Amy Melious, and how she took my original photo of our Grandpa Jack and what she did with it. She is a very talented photographic artist. "My siblings and I never knew Jack, so working on this piece was a fascinating and rewarding look into who he may have been. All I know of him is a few great stories. I love to explore things in visual language. When Annie first showed me the base photo of Jack on the horse, I felt it was a perfect illustration for a story my dad told me once about how much his dad loved being on horseback and in the open landscape, with the big sky above, 'Son, this is my church'....

So, I made a first version, with an old map of the constellations as the background. (Grandpa Jack in his Heaven)About the first version: It's a photoshop composite I made using about ten separate image files. The finished piece is printed on canvas and I embellished it by hand with acrylic paint.

Base image: This is the vintage black and white print that you let me photograph at your house one time when I visited- the 8x10 image of Jack on the horse by an unknown photographer.

Constellation graphic in sky: Vintage graphic.

Ponies in landscape, my photo taken in California- placed to represent the world we live in-the ponies representing family (I like the echo in the collection above -stars--collection below-family)

Shortly after the
first version was made, my brother John called. He was looking for a piece of art
for a particular space in one of the Cattlemens restaurants.I created a
second version to tellanother story. John has worked with Cattlemens
for over twenty five years. The founders have played a large role in his
life. The new picture ties together Grandpa Jack's cowboy history, my dad, John,
and Cattlemens founders.Again, my family is present in a
subtle way by the use of the word "Pacific" running vertically along Grandpa Jack's spine. It was symbolism used to link John, Grandpa Jack, the ranch in Montana, and the legacy of Cattlemens. In both versions, I included a field to connect all the generations, and ponies that I photographed in my hometown of Willits to symbolize his descendents. There is also some grass (picked near my house) in the most near foreground to serve as the absolute most current aspect.I love the imagine that my dad and our grandfather might be
proud to know they are celebrated in the form of artwork. 2nd Version: Also, a photoshop composite I made using several image files, both my own photographs and found vintage images.The finished piece is printed on canvas and I embellished it by hand with acrylic paint.

The finished piece is hanging in the Santa Rosa Cattlemens, and a second copy of it was recently installed in the Selma Cattlemens Restaurant."What a beautiful story!

My son, Thomas, and I look over black and white photos for the calendar.

I am almost done with my paintings. I have laid out samples of envelopes from Envelope Mallto see if any of them match. (look how many "greens" they have!) The next thing is to email images of my paintings to the printer.

Canna Lilies are blooming right now, and although they are one of my favorite flowers, I decided not to paint them but to use them to show you how effective light can be.

(That's my daughter Claire a few years ago. She's 5'10" now!)

Here is sunlight directly on the leaves...

...and this is sunlight from behind the leaves.Notice the difference? Isn't it beautiful?!That is why "light" is always so important to me when I paint.Studio Tip:

I clean my brushes in Murphy Oil Soap.

Oil, water-based oil, acrylic,....whatever, it's great at getting all the paint off!If you have any other ideas about a cleaning solution, let me know. :)Listening to while I paint:

Audiobook:

"The Scarlet Pimpernel", by Baroness Orczy. I watched the movie in 1982 with my dad. It had Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen.

9.11.2015

This is your chance to go to the artist's studio, see their workspace and their processes.

I have been setting up all the things I want to show you. :)

Here is the Portland Open Studios catalog....

.....and the maps to different artist's studios that you can visit over the four days.It's been really good for me because I have to think through what my process is: taking pictures, setting up a still life, drawing, painting, etc. .

Along with my approach to painting, I've decided to have a calendar and note cards available during the tour.

I like to paint on wood panels, so I ordered 12, 10"x 10" to do flower paintings for the calendar and note cards.

These cradled boards have a very nice, smooth, 1-1/2 inch edges, so I decided to tape them (with Painter's tape) because I don't know if I am going to leave them natural, stain them, or paint them. Since I only have one working hand, I put the tape on the side of the table and pulled down.... it worked perfectly!

The boards needed to be prepared by using gesso as a substrate. Gesso is designed to penetrate supports and provide a surface to which paint can adhere. I am going to try Krylon Gesso Spray.

Really helpful!:I am continually checking a dictionary, thesaurus, spell check, but one thing that has been particularly helpful is the grammar check. Please excuse any errors that I make and tell me! :)